The designs for the Zayed National Museum, conceived as a monument and memorial to the founding president of UAE Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, were officially unveiled in the UAE capital.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom revealed the designs created by British architects Foster and Partners.

The museum will be the centrepiece of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District in Abu Dhabi and will showcase the history, culture and more recently the social and economic transformation of the emirates. It is expected to be ready by 2014, said a statement from Foster and Partners.

'Architecturally, the aim is to combine a highly efficient, contemporary form with elements of traditional Arabic design and hospitality to create a museum that is sustainable, welcoming and culturally of its place. Celebrating Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and love of nature, the museum is set within a landscaped garden, based on a timeline of his life.'

'It has been a great privilege to work on the Zayed National Museum, to carry forward Sheikh Zayed’s vision and to communicate the dynamic character of a contemporary UAE,' said Lord Foster said.

'We have sought to establish a building that will be an exemplar of sustainable design, resonating with Sheikh Zayed’s love of nature and his wider heritage,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service